NCJ Number
85629
Journal
Journal of Studies on Alcohol Volume: 42 Issue: 7 Dated: (1981) Pages: 642-653
Date Published
1981
Length
12 pages
Annotation
Men in three types of short-term treatment programs showed few differences in drinking patterns, drinking-related behavior, and social adjustment at 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months after treatment.
Abstract
Subjects were aged 18-55 and had at least an 8th-grade education, were free to attend weekend power motivation training, and did not have serious emotional or physical problems. The 351 men were assigned to either the treatment or control alternatives. They participated in the Alcohol Safety Action Program (ASAP) in Phoenix, Ariz., a program implemented by the Federal Government and geared locally toward persons arrested for driving while intoxicated (DWI). Power motivation training, a four-session program involving 32 hours of therapeutic contact over two consecutive weekends, included experimental exercises on risk-taking, goal setting, and interpersonal communication during stressful situations. DWI therapy workshops emphasized identifying problems and giving information in a small group session. The minimum-exposure alternative, a home-study course, consisted of one meeting during which an alcohol education guide was distributed and instructions given. Subjects participating in the alternative session were required to complete and return by mail the written exercises. The Life Activities Inventory was developed for use in subject followup. The results raise doubts about the effects of short-term treatment on the behavior of DWI offenders referred by the courts. The report briefly discusses some of the reasons for these effects. Graphs and 14 references are included.